Depth
by WakeToSanity
Summary: An extremely off point prediction I made way back when Nezumi got Sion's mama's letter about Safu. Sion in all of his airheaded glory gets hurt saving Safu. NezumixSion I guess. Rewritten into a two-shot.
1. Darkness

**Author's note: This is my first story. And I mean my first, like besides any work from school, this is it. I rewrote this (a bit) and split it into two.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned No. 6 Nezumi would be making Sion dinner right now instead of in some far off land.**

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><p>He was in the depths of a darkness that was more than he'd felt before, yet it held a familiarity that shot a pang of unease throughout his body. A voice was trying to make its way into his mind, a woman's voice. The words trying to tear through the depths of a darkness that embraced him so completely.<p>

He decided he liked the darkness. It was nice, ethereal even. He wanted to see how far it went. Something told him that if he reached the end he'd obtain something serious, something unknown... and he wanted to know.

He felt his head fall to the side and the darkness loosened its hold on him. An almost indistinguishable pain on his cheek let him know he'd been hit. _Go away_. He thought with all his might hoping that the being disrupting the peace that was washing over him would get the message and leave. It was quiet for a while. Sion felt his mind go blank as he welcomed the eternal darkness he was obliviously walking into.

"Sion"

A clear voice resounded throughout his mind, light cut through the nothingness and he was aware of what was happening. He was dying.

No. He refused to die. Not when that voice called his name so clear. So attainable. So warm. He needed to see him... if he was really going to die it wouldn't be before he saw Nezumi.

He climbed through the openings the light had made and felt his mind become more aware of everything. Of the sickening pain in his leg. Of the inability to move his body. Of the sobs on his right. Of the warmth on his left. He forced his eyes open, trying to let them adjust, but to no avail. He could make out two blurred figures. Brown and white mixed on one side and on the other, the alluring gray he was far too familiar with dominated.

He didn't know what to do. He wanted to call out to Nezumi. He wanted to feel him, and obtain the assurance that Nezumi unknowingly gave him with every touch. But... he couldn't. Besides the fact that his body surely wouldn't comply with his will at he moment, he just... felt so disgusting. A pain in his chest that he found hard to explain reminded him of what he'd just done. He betrayed Nezumi. He always said he would strive to live, and never give up. He gave up. He strived for death.

"Sion! Sion are you okay, can you hear me? How do you feel? Does anyth-" Safu's desperate voice was cut off by a cold, rough hand cupping her mouth.

"Dammit, are you going to be as incessant as him." Nezumi mumbled as he swiftly pulled off his gloves with his teeth. It was said as a statement in hope that she wouldn't respond. She didn't. _I guess she has more sense than Sion at least _"Sion can you move at all?" A nod. "Can you speak?" Sion's mouth opened, and a few inaudible mumbles fell from his lips before he shook his head.

Nezumi moved his hands along Sion's body, feeling his vitals. His heart beat was slow and faint, but there. His breathing was strained and subdued, but there. Okay, we ca- He can do this. Nezumi almost sighed in relief and the reason he didn't was regrettably not his self-will. His leg. There was a fucking hole in his leg. _Shit._

"_Hurry Safu we're almost out!"_

_"Sion pay attention, 'almost' is the key word there."_

_"I know, I am. I'm just excited to go back!" To see nezumi. To taste his soup. To feel his hand on my hair. To continue trying to figure him out. All he wanted right now was to here the harsh words that housed more concern than Nezumi would ever care to admit. He wante-_

_'SION!' He couldn't even turn to see his friend's horrified expression before he crumpled to the ground in pain. A man who by the looks of it was on a deathbed himself had shot him. Sion could almost hear the '_fuck you'_ that was clearly adamant in the way the man looked at him. And that was when he blacked out._

His vision had basically returned, and he scanned the situation trying to ignore the screaming pain in his leg that was eating away at his consciousness. His right pant leg had been cut off and was tied a few centimeters above... oh god.

He fought back the vile that was creeping up his throat, but the need to know his situation kept his gaze connected. Blood had coagulated around the edges of a small hole a few inches above his knee, towards the inner part of his thigh. It would be a miracle if that hadn't hit anything important. His leg was too close in hue to his hair for Sion to feel comfortable.

He watched as Nezumi intently stared at his wound, brow wrinkled in concentration. Sion would have relished his countenance, had he not been fully aware of how much he needed treatment and the fact that Safu wouldn't be much help. Sion had noticed that her mind wasn't quite on track anymore. Her personality remained intact, and most likely the majority of her experiences and knowledge. But her brain was simply boggled. She couldn't piece together information well. He wondered what had happened to her in the Correctional Facility for something so significant yet minor to occur.

"Did you bring anything?" Sion's voice sounded awful, but the scratchy words were just that, words, he was literate once again. He listened as Nezumi impassively voiced the supplies he brought and decided not to comment on how thoughtful he was in doing so.

Sion calmly instructed Nezumi on what to do, keeping his voice steady, and what little motions he made fluid. Hiding his pain completely except the pressure he allowed his hand to use, fisting his shirt's fabric. He felt a little proud when Nezumi sowed up his wound without fault. Warm arms lifted him and he felt his head spin at the movement.

"You can sleep now... if you want" Nezumi spoke the words quietly, uncaring in tone but gentle in quality. Sion was wide-awake though. Well, he was. Nezumi's words spread through his body until he could barely feel it anymore in the half-conscious state he had forced himself into. He leant into the warmth, pressing his head against Nezumi's chest who in return held him closer. His consciousness slipped from his grasp for the second time that day, and he fell into a soft sleep.

**...**

_They were all monsters. They fed on each other and grew bigger and bigger. Nothing was left to sustain them and they battled with each other. Savages. Monsters. Cannibals. He knew them all. He had seen them in the park. At work. At his mother's bakery. She was one of them too. So was Yamase. Along with the man who aged inexplicably in the park, accompanied by his wife. They all ate the ones he had come to care for. Rikiga, Inukashi, Karan and her family, Nezu-_

Sion gasped opening his eyes as he saw Nezuimi's body being devoured by the monsters he had lived among for his whole life. He panted, eyes wide, not noticing the presence next to him - examining his mien and actions thoroughly. His leg pulsed painfully, but it felt well enough to be mobile. He ran a hand through his hair and gently pulled as he closed his eyes and steadied his breathing. The calm was short lived. He jumped as a voice next to him spoke his name.

"Sion?" Safu was looking at him inquisitively and he could feel the barricade of questions forming behind her lips. He made a mental note to control his "interrogations"-as Nezumi so kindly called them- feeling unnerved just by the thought of answering questions right now. "Are you feeling okay?" she asked gently. Safu already knew the answer though. He was scared. Definitely. But not too shaken. It would just take some time for him to get over whatever was bothering him. She hoped.

"I'm fine Safu, thank you. I'm just a little tired." he sat up as he spoke. Smiling gently when he was comfortable. Safu returned his affection as he asked her the same. "Are you okay?" She nodded and Sion noticed a cup of soup in her hands along with the one beside his bed. The soup's warmth spread through his body, steadying his wondering mind and kept him bound to reality. _I'm back. There are no monsters. There never were. Everything's okay._

He sighed and looked up to see Nezumi standing in the door way. _Safu won't be able to ask questions. _Sion thought with his small supply of mirth.

He saw that Nezumi had barely noticeable spots of blood on his sleeves, and Sion guessed that the hands underneath his gloves would be stained red. "What were you doing?" he asked accusingly, and a bit too sweet making him sound like a concerned mother, thus earning him the sarcastic response of 'kicking a puppy' from a falsely smiling Nezumi. But he couldn't help but feel troubled when he sensed a hint of truth in his words.

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><p><strong>Review if you feel like it. Say whatever you want too, I'll be fine. Speak your mind.<strong>


	2. Warmth

**Disclaimer: I don't own No.6 I promise**

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><p>"<em>Sion's dead Nezumi." Nezumi simply stared, eyes narrowing, not sure if he should take Inukashi seriously, and if he did... no he wasn't serious, he just couldn't be. Inukashi sighed and started again. "Sion's dead, they saw him get thrown over the wall in a bloody heap, my dogs did." Inukashi's body slammed backward into the wall, a fatal hand around his throat. Nezumi's reaction was more than he'd expected. His eyes were narrowed expertly, his brow knit in his obvious distaste upon hearing Inukashi's words.<em>

_A malevolent, cold voice fell from icy lips. "Don't screw with me."_

_Four words. That was all it took for the dog owner's knees to buckle. But he didn't fall. No. Nezumi wouldn't let him distance himself that easily. He was being pinned up straight, fixed to the wall by his throat. Fearing his life he squeaked out "It's true" followed by Nezumi's ferocious "Che"._

_He crumbled against the wall and watched Nezumi's expression turn from disgust and... betrayal to one of nothingness. He was completely void. Wow. Inukashi thought it was amazing to see, and wondered how a useless airhead could affect him so much. He kept watching, mesmerized as Nezumi walked calmly out of his hotel, lack of his usual stride making him look pathetic, weak. He could get jumped looking like that. "Maybe that was a little much." Inukashi spoke to his brother who whined in agreement._

**...**_  
><em>

Nezumi clicked his tongue in annoyance as he thought back. _That bastard was just fucking with me._ Nezumi had just spent a good half hour unleashing all of the unpleasant feelings in his stomach onto Inukashi.

The annoyance at himself for believing Inukashi. The remorse at reacting so openly to the blatant lie, and of course the sheer amount of rage he felt at Inukashi for testing him like that in the first place. But he felt at peace again when he removed his gloves and busied himself with washing Inukashi's blood off of them. He smiled inwardly remembering the mass of bloody flesh, and dark hair on the floor as he left the hotel. _That was some of my finest work_ he thought jauntily before turning back to Sion. "Are you alright?" He asked showing intent clear in his voice, hoping to get a straightforward answer. But alas, Sion had crushed all of his hopes of easy encounters up until now, and nothing had changed.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not"

"Yes I am"

_No you're not_ Nezumi thought, looking deep into Sion's eyes that were swimming in chaos.

_He's just scared, go easy on him. _Safu thought, not daring to say it aloud as she looked at Nezumi's bloodstained sleeves.

"... I'm just a bit shaken," _I told you _Safu's face flushed as she realized her pointless, silent gloating.

Nezumi narrowed his gaze "What are you shaken about?"

"... I was scared... that Safu would-"

"No, this isn't about your little friend, this is about you, why are _you_ scared." He asked it bluntly, trying to compensate for the words that were attempting to comfort.

"I was scared... I would die... I didn't want... I don't want to die Nezumi." Safu's eyes widened as tears followed the gentle words. She had never seen him cry. Not once. He was always good enough at suppressing his emotions to keep anything close to tears secretive. It was alarming.

"Okay, what else?" His question was received with a skeptical look and he sighed heavily and kept speaking "You've almost died before Sion. Back then you spilled one tear and then helped me make dinner. So... pray tell your majesty, what troubles have been weighing on your mind?"

Safu watched as the boy she loved completely broke down.

He curled into himself. Head resting on his knees, hands clenching nervously around his white locks, pulling them down over his deluging eyes. He shook violently and labored breathing was the only thing heard in the quiet room. _Where did this come from? How could I have overlooked something this adamant? _She was dumbfounded. She barely noticed as Nezumi stood with a huff and sat on the edge of the bed, unfolding Sion's limbs so that he didn't simply close himself off from him. "Sion talk to me." It was said in a deceivingly gentle voice; it was a command, a command that Sion had to follow out. But Nezumi spoke it like he had a choice. This method had proven useful in previous happenings.

"I... they are awful people." Nezumi's hand found Sion's head, where it combed through his snowy tresses

"Yeah, I know"

Sion drew in a shaky breath. "They're disgusting, and I... I can't help but know I'm one of them." He was stammering out his words, voice shaking, his pace quickening with each word. "I have to be, right? I lived in the same place... in the same way as them for so long. There's no way I should be any different. But I don't want to be. I don't want to be like them." There was a short pause that allowed Sion's words to sink in. Nezumi thought about his response, and answered him as honestly as possible.

"You're not, you're different. So are your mama, and your bestie, and most likely your co-worker as well... You though... you're the weirdest one. You're the _most_ different Sion. That's why they got rid of you. You were different, and so were the people around you. I don't know if they thought you were the reason for that, but they deemed you too different to be beneficial. ... So congratulations, you are strange, and oblivious, and moronic, and the biggest airhead I've ever witnessed. However, you are nothing like the awful people who rule over number 6."

Sion listened, letting the words descend deep in his mind. He let go of his hair, and shifted so he leant against the wall, head back. "Thank you ...Nezumi". Nezumi sighed, "I just told you the truth." A white head turned towards him with a gentle smile.

"Exactly."

Nezumi gave him a bewildered look and stood up gracefully. "Do you need anything?" He asked it like nothing had happened, like Sion had just woken up.

Sion took a moment to think of what he needed most. "Water" Nezumi chuckled and replied modestly, "As humble as always my lord." He bowed his head slightly and left the room. Leaving a pleased Sion to tend to the bemused Safu.

"Can I ask what that was about?" Safu asked in utter bewilderment.

"Hah. Yes, I suppose you could ask, but you won't get a very good answer" Sion replied lightly.

Safu tried a different approach and decided to ask something that had been on her mind. "What did he say to you?" She should have expected Sion's confused look, but she went on rather vexed "Back then... when you were unconscious, Nezumi said something to you, and you woke up, right away... what was it?" She had hoped him to say something along the lines of 'Get the hell up or I'll kill you' or something that would stir his emotions, like telling him his mom was dead. She was afraid of the answer she already knew was coming.

"He said my name." Sion had said it in such a way that the act sounded like a blessing. It hurt a little. But, she was prepared for this. So she brushed it off and asked something that would give her the answers she was looking for... probably. "Are you happy Sion?"

Sion didn't think before responding. "Yes". He didn't falter when she asked if it was because of 'him'. "Yes". He answered with resolve when she asked if he wanted to return. "Not unless I have too.". He jumped a bit when she kissed him. "Safu!" He stared at her flustered.

Safu was surprised she could get such a reaction and decided he had caught some sort of plague from the rat he was living with. "Nezumi told me about Inukashi's hotel. I don't want to intrude so I'm going to head over there now. Hopefully I'll be able to travel to another city and have a nice life there." She smiled and quickly made her way to the door hoping to get out before Sion tried to stop her. But he didn't. Not really.

"Is that what you want?" It was such an innocent question. Resounding perfectly with Sion's big eyed expression as he looked up at her expectantly. Turning towards Sion she spoke

"... Yeah... it is." He rose from the bed, padded across the floor to where Safu stood and gave her a quick, but significant hug. Safu realized how much he had changed. He didn't embrace her because he was supposed to, but because he wanted to. With that thought in her mind she left the small home feeling far happier than when she entered, and followed the dog that was awaiting her arrival at the surface. Adventuring on to her new home. Wherever it would happen to be.

Sion felt bad for not stopping Safu. But that's what she wanted and he respected that. Safu had done the same for him in letting him stay with Nezumi. Who was currently handing him a cup of the water that rooted him to the ground, making him come to terms with his life. He recalled Nezumi doing the same before, when minutes after crossing the border he suffered the wrath of a parasite wasp. "It feels like one of us is always half-dead" Sion said with a grim chuckle. Nezumi glanced at Sion as the bed sank with the addition of his weight. He threaded his fingers through Sion's white hair.

The result of his battle. His trophy. "That's how you keep living. When the possibility of dying becomes real, people get scared and cautious, they stay out of harms way and live a peaceful life."

Sion didn't understand. Neither of them had done that. Sion was barely alive a few hours ago, and he was always treating nasty wounds Nezumi got from doing whatever secretive things he did.

"Or, they can do what people like you did, and want to make sure your life is the most you can make it before you have to depart from it." There was still something wrong.

"Nezumi"

"Hm"

"What about you?"

Sion watched as Nezumi's head ineptly retracted before snapping it towards him, Sion stared back oblivious to the feeling swelling in Nezumi's stomach at his words. _He always catches me off guard. _He thought scornfully. "I don't get a choice. I'll live until my role is over." Sion nodded and Nezumi thought the issue had dissolved.

"What is your role?" _Right, Sion being Sion would ask that, huh._

"Right now it's to return what I owe you. ... And I do owe you." he said as an afterthought knowing Sion was going to say he didn't owe him, or some moronic thing like that.

"Alright, then what about when your role is over?"

_If we're both still here... N_ezumi shook the thought off. "I don't know. I'll find another role to play in life, remember my lines and cues. Then act it out." Sion would have laughed at the wording had he not felt this conversation was one he should take seriously. He looked at Nezumi. Into his eyes that rarely showed emotion.

"Then I'll play a part too... in your life. Even if it's just backstage." Gray eyes flickered, and if you looked slightly lower, you would see the corners of his mouth turn up ever so slightly.

He ran a hand through his hair. Exasperated, he spoke "I guess we'll have to audition first huh?" Sion laughed, spotting the playful glint in Nezumi's eyes as he spoke, and lay down on the bed, shortly followed by Nezumi. They lied there, simply seeing how far they could delve into the others mind just by looking. He decided to test his luck. He reached his arms around Nezumi, and held tight, ready to put up a fight. He never got one though. Nezumi also never returned the affection. But accepting it was plenty.

Sion closed his eyes and fell into the depths of a darkness that he had never felt before, yet it held a familiarity that sent an ethereal surge throughout his body. A voice effectively made it's way into his mind, Nezumi's voice. "Good night Sion." The words settling comfortably within the darkness that embraced him so completely, along with a new found warmth. He decided he liked the warmth. It was a feeling hard to describe. More pleasant than nice, more elegant than ethereal. He wanted to see how far it went. Something told him that if he reached the end he'd find something monumental... something only he could know... And he wanted to know.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading my crap story. I liked writing it so I'll just hope someone enjoyed reading.<strong>


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